Losing your father at six and seeing your mother unable to cope would seem like an insurmountable challenge to most, but with YWAM Mercy Vietnam’s help, Hai (now 28) is leading a successful life.
Hai who is is ethnic Muong, is one of 4 children. The family was barely surviving from the produce of their small rice paddy fields when his father met with a tragic accident, falling down a well one summer night in 1995. Hai remembers feeling helpless watching his mother collapse with pain as his young siblings looked on bewildered. His mother was unable to function or care for her children after this. When community leaders became aware of the family’s situation they realized that Hai needed the care and protection that the Children’s Home could provide. This would allow him to grow up with stability while keeping him connected with his extended family who were still in crisis.
During his nine years in the Children’s Home, Hai was not only provided all the material things and taught the life skills every child needs, but he also lived in the loving care of the staff, and his Home brothers and sisters. He also learnt how to share and care for others and how to contribute back to society.
After he finished Upper Secondary School, YWAM Mercy helped him complete a 3-year vocational college course in car repair in 2009. Hai quickly found a job and left the direct care of Children’s Home for a new, independent life.
He learned to drive an excavator and in his spare time he took up Kung Fu. He excels at both. Through proficiency and diligence, Hai is a credit to his employer and earns a stable income.
Through his hard work and with diligent saving, Hai has achieved self-sufficiency and accumulated valuable assets including: a new house, a motorbike, farm land, two milk-cows and five pigs. With a healthy savings account and marketable skills, he does not fear the future.
Hai is able to care not only for himself, but for his mother too. He also frequently comes back to help the children in the Van Hoa Children’s Home, his second-family.
As a way of giving back, he also organized a Kung Fu class for children in the community, aiming to develop their health and self-defense skills.
Hai has not forgotten the help he received in his time of crisis. Through his continued interaction with the children he serves as a great role model. The love, sharing, smiles, advice, and encouragement from everyone at the Children’s Home will always remain with him in his past, present and future.
I may have left the Children’s Home, but I’m a member of the Children’s Home forever. This is my second family where I have a second mother and a lot of brothers and sisters who love each other as siblings.
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